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Laying Strong Foundations for Coding Bootcamp

By: Fullstack Staff

So you’ve conquered our Javascript 101 and maybe even Bootcamp Prep and gotten yourself accepted to bootcamp. Whoo-hoo—what’s next? We’re glad you asked because we can’t wait to introduce you to Foundations, our remote pre-work phase. This will be your first real taste of coding bootcamp, done entirely at your own pace.

What is Foundations?

The point of Foundations is to get everyone ready to go by the time Week 5 of the 17-week immersive kicks off. Your cohort will be a medley of students from contrasting backgrounds and walks of life. Whether you’ve got no prior coding experience or you’ve been teaching yourself for a while now, we want everyone on the same page—or as close to it as possible.

We’ve put together online resources and workshops available on demand so that you can learn in the way that works best for you. Along the way, there will be timed “checkpoints” to make sure you’re on track and learning what you need to be.

As you might expect from the name, Foundations will lay the groundwork for you to start building on your programming knowledge in subsequent weeks. Here’s what Foundations encompasses:

Programming Fundamentals

HTML/CSS/jQuery OO JavaScript, Inheritance & Prototypes

Project Assignments

Office Hours

Note: our curriculum is cutting-edge and subject to change as technologies evolve.

Learn at Your Own Pace

During Foundations, you’ll be going through material on your own, with the ability to review as much as you want. Okay, maybe you won’t be entirely on your own. You’ll be virtually paired with a mentor—your first Fullstack connection—who can answer questions and give you feedback as you progress.

You’ll also be dropped into a forum with fellow students so you can discuss obstacles you encounter. Alums have told us this was instrumental in discovering what they didn’t know—basically, reviewing discussions and questions can highlight what your peers are thinking about and consequently spotlight gaps in your own knowledge.

Foundations generally requires between 20-30 hours per week over the course of a month, though your mileage may vary. Many former students have told us they treated it like a full-time job, though it’s possible to still work at least part-time during this period.

Ready to Start

Once you’re on the other side of Foundations, you’ll feel more at ease with some of the more advanced concepts when it comes to JavaScript, like closure and recursion. And you’ll close with a capstone project, in which you’ll build your first Node.js application. Exciting stuff, right?

The time you invest in Foundations ultimately benefits you and you’ll reap the rewards once the momentum really picks up in Week 5. Some tips from people who have been there: Allot more time than you think you need, be sure to set your machine up correctly, and keep practicing. We believe in you and can’t wait to see you on-site soon.